


Nighttime

by mykindofthing



Category: My Chemical Romance
Genre: Conventional Weapons Era, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-01
Updated: 2020-09-01
Packaged: 2021-03-06 17:53:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 931
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26232988
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mykindofthing/pseuds/mykindofthing
Summary: Recording is always a hard process. Doing it after their lives turned upside down is even harder.
Relationships: Frank Iero & Gerard Way, Frank Iero/Gerard Way
Comments: 2
Kudos: 17





	Nighttime

**Author's Note:**

> This is the first time I publish something here, but I felt the urge to write this out as I listened to Conventional Weapons during a one-hour trip. Feel free to [say hi](https://twitter.com/unholy_things) or leave me feedback, I'd love to hear it.
> 
> Also, thanks [ charredlipsandsenseofpride](/users/charredlipsandsenseofpride/) for betaing this.

* * *

Frank hit the pedal and struck the chords without eyeing nobody else in the room.

"Again," a voice commanded him and he did it. Again and again. He just couldn't concentrate.

His eyelids were tingling and he didn't know if it was anger, drowsiness or plain sadness. He could see Bob throwing worried looks at him, jaws clenched, but Frank didn't have it in him to answer back. The room was already filled with tension.

"I can't believe you. Both of you," Bob said later, on their smoke break, lips pursued to one corner.

Frank nagged at his nails.

"I don't wanna talk about it. I just wanna finish this record, take a shower and go home for a while."

He knew this wasn't how things would go, but Frank wanted time away from this. The pressure from the label, the ring pulsating in his finger, the late night rehearsals and whispers that would confuse him overnight.

Mikey was glad they had closed that chapter, like his ghosts would die along with The Black Parade. Ray was concentrated on not overthinking during this new process and have fun. Bob was on board with Ray, but would keep a watchful expression every time Frank got near Gerard, even though Frank had told him he didn't need a big brother.

Which was bullshit.

He was sick and tired of knowing Mikey got to know things because of brotherly conversations. Ray never hinted how much he knew either, but Frank was sure he would meddle every once in a while, fearing his... whatever he had with Gerard wouldn't get in the way of their work.

As much as he acted annoyed when Bob brought it up, Frank pretty much felt grateful he had a second pair of eyes and ears to convince him he wasn't going mad.

"Yeah, well... You better talk to him or I might punch him soon," Bob stepped on the butt of his cigarette. "I'm not buying the happily ever after tale and I know he's not writing about that _in there_."

Frank shook his head, but he was smiling.

  
***  
  


There was a knock on the door. And a second one. Frank opened it.

"Do you wanna grab dinner?"

"Sure," he blinked, but didn't move.

"Get a coat or something, I'll be driving," Gerard said, hands still on his jacket pockets.

Driving at night was kind of their thing lately. Sometimes they would travel as far as they could to have dinner or even just have takeout inside the car. Sometimes they would do it at 11pm or 3am.

Gerard would always be the one driving, lowering his window to get the wind blowing his hair. Frank would choose the music or the place they'd eat.

"We could go anywhere, you know," Gerard mocked whenever Frank would choose the same place twice in a row.

Frank wanted to say "Let's drive up to Mexico, then, away from everybody," but he just accepted the teasing silently.

"I'm choosing today," Gerard said as they hit the streets, snapping him out of his thoughts.

He drove fast, getting into an empty highway. Frank smiled disbelievingly.

"You do remember we have a studio first thing in the morning? We can't just cross country for a meal."

"Sure thing. I just... I wanted to get away. Don't get me wrong, but it's been suffocating," Gerard said, his brow slightly furrowed, his voice tentative. "Everybody's expecting the next big thing, you know? And the room gets so small, all I wanna do is run away."

They fell silent.

"This voice in my head keeps telling me I am a coward," he completed.

Frank turned off the radio he didn't even remember having turned on in the first place.

"You're not a coward. You're just... cautious. But you have to deal with the fact you can't live to everybody's expectations," Frank knew he was just half-heartedly talking about work.

It took a few seconds to that sink in Gerard, and he smiled. He put his right hand on Frank's thigh, thankful.

Eventually, Gerard parked the car in a diner, almost two cities away, but he stopped Frank before he unbuckled his seatbelt.

"Wait here," he said hurriedly, and got in.

Frank watched him go, puzzled, but did as he was told. In no more than ten minutes, Gerard returned with a few bags.

"Just hold these, don't give me this look," Gerard said as he turned the engines one more time, as if he were making any sense.

"What the fuck, man, I'm starving," Frank complained, his stomach growling.

"Just be a bit more patient for me," was his answer, driving straight, going up some streets, making a few turns, until he finally started slowing down one more time.

Frank didn't realize right away. They were on top of a hill. Just them, framed under dark trees, the orange and white blurs from the cities unraveled ahead. He opened his mouth, but Gerard was already out of the car, leaving the lights on.

He glanced at Frank before hopping on the carhood, laying on the windshield. Frank followed right after, but the food remained forgotten on his seat. Gerard observed as Frank adjusted, still wearing a questioning look. When Frank didn't say anything, he breathed, "I've been meaning to bring you here."

They stared at the sky and the crescent moon in silence, hands touching but not entirely intertwined.

"What are you thinking about?" Gerard asked in a small voice.

Frank kept looking at the stars burning over their heads.

"About how our time is always nighttime."


End file.
